Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan's American Journey 1956-1966 (2004)

Produced in honor of the Experience Music Project exhibit of the same name, the 11-song Bob Dylan's American Journey 1956-1966 is a slight and perfunctory introduction to the first decade of Dylan's career, a period that merely witnessed his evolution from Woody Guthrie acolyte to the most important and influential singer/songwriter of his generation. Because it's a limited edition the set will no doubt find its way into the collections of many Dylan collectors, but it's a starter kit at best, assembling undeniably classic but over-anthologized material like "Subterranean Homesick Blues," "Mr. Tambourine Man" and the immortal "Like a Rolling Stone." Given the existing and more comprehensive Dylan hits collections already on the market, it's a shame the EMP didn't delve deeper into the artist's extensive catalog to pluck material less familiar to the average listener -- as a museum souvenir it's no doubt better than a t-shirt or a baseball cap, but in no way is it a sufficient overview of some of the most galvanizing and life-changing music ever made.